SKU: 24563
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WHAT WE LOVE:
Eberhard & Co. has been making chronographs in La Chaux-de-Fonds since 1887 — a lineage that puts them among the very oldest chronograph specialists in Switzerland — and the Tazio Nuvolari collection is the expression of that heritage that most directly connects the brand's present to its past. The Vanderbilt Cup edition commemorates one of the most celebrated moments in motor racing history: Tazio Nuvolari's victory in the 1936 Vanderbilt Cup at Roosevelt Raceway in New York, an American event dominated by European machinery, where Nuvolari drove his Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeo to a result that shocked the American establishment and cemented his legend on both sides of the Atlantic.
The white dial with relief-painted blue Arabic numerals is the most striking and most characterful configuration the Vanderbilt Cup has been produced in. The numerals are not printed — they are applied in relief, raised from the dial surface, and then painted blue, producing a three-dimensional quality visible at angles that flat-printed dials cannot achieve. The broad leaf-shaped hands in matching blue complete a colour scheme drawn directly from vintage racing instruments, evoking the dashboard chronographs and timing equipment of 1930s grand prix cars with absolute conviction. Against the clean white background, the contrast is immediate and confident — a dial layout that photographs beautifully and reads even better in person.
The case architecture is the Vanderbilt Cup's most distinctive and most discussed engineering detail. At 2 o'clock, a single personalised pusher operates the chronograph start and stop function — positioned coaxially with the crown in the manner of the Eberhard & Co. coaxial chronographs of the 1930s, a direct reference to the brand's own history rather than a styling choice. At 4 o'clock, a vertical lever with sliding action releases the hinged steel cover that protects the sapphire exhibition caseback — a mechanism as satisfying to operate as it is visually interesting. The outer surface of the cover is engraved with Nuvolari's legendary turtle motif and his initials, TN. Tazio Nuvolari's autograph is engraved on the sapphire crystal of the caseback itself, visible once the cover is opened. This is a watch that rewards engagement with every surface it presents.
WHAT'S INSIDE:
The Vanderbilt Cup is powered by Eberhard & Co.'s Calibre 8102 — based on the ETA 7750 architecture and modified and decorated to Eberhard's own specification. The calibre carries 30 rubies and is finished with blue screws, perlage, and Côtes de Genève striping — a level of movement decoration appropriate for a watch that displays it through both the sapphire caseback and the hinged cover's glazed inner surface. Power reserve is 42 hours from a full wind.
FIVEFORTYFIVE SIX MONTHS WARRANTY
